(INDIANAPOLIS) - Indiana University School of Medicine students gathered Friday to celebrate the end of four years of medical school and the beginning of the next phase of training.

The students, accompanied by family and friends, waited -- as did medical students nationwide -- for announcements made during Match Day -- better known as "The Match" by generations of medical students.

After years of classroom and clinical training, medical students apply and interview for their preferred residency positions throughout the nation during their senior year; their selection is administered through the National Resident Matching Program of the Association of American Medical Colleges.

Not all students get their first or second choice, but IU School of Medicine has a history of favorable matches for students.

"The residency match is competitive and can be a stressful process. I am happy to say that our IU School of Medicine students do extremely well," said Bradley L. Allen, M.D., Ph.D., senior associate dean for medical student education and associate professor of clinical medicine. "We're pleased that many of our students will be starting residencies here and across Indiana. Our school is also sending graduates to many other prestigious programs in the country, such as Johns Hopkins, Mayo, Stanford and Baylor."

As parents, spouses and friends anxiously awaited the news, more than 300 fourth-year IU medical students collected their sealed envelopes, shook hands with faculty and then, in unison, opened their envelopes. A total of 327 IU medical students matched to residency programs this spring. However, students in some programs, including the military, urology and ophthalmology, learned in previous months where they will continue their educations.

Students in the IU School of Medicine Class of 2016, who will receive their medical degrees May 7, accepted residency positions in 34 states. Among the Match Day highlights:

35 percent of the students will pursue at least part of their residencies in Indiana.

69 students will be residents at IU Hospital, Riley Hospital for Children, other IU Health facilities, Eskenazi Health or the Roudebush VA Medical Center.

The IU School of Medicine, the largest medical school in the United States with more than 1,400 students, has nine medical education centers throughout the state. The programs are the IU Medical Sciences Program in Bloomington, IUSM-Evansville, IUSM-Fort Wayne, IUSM-Muncie, IUSM-Northwest, IUSM-South Bend, IUSM-Terre Haute, IUSM-West Lafayette and the main medical education campus at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.